In Denial or Afraid of Losing Face?
A must read post by Juan Cole at Informed Comment:
AP also reports that President Jalal Talabani, Foreign Minister Barham Salih, and leader of the United Iraqi Alliance Abdul Aziz al-Hakim have all rejected United Nations Secretary-General Kofi Annan’s call for an international conference on Iraq. Talabani said, “We are an independent and a sovereign nation and it is we who decide the fate of the nation . . .”
If Talabani can decide the fate of Iraq, he should please go ahead and do it. It looks pretty out of control to the rest of us, and we don’t think he’s in a position to turn down Annan’s offer of help. In fact there is something sinister about the top Kurdish and Shiite leaders rejecting an international conference that might help stop the Night of the Living Dead. Basically, they seem to be saying that they’ve come out on top and are happy with the status quo, and aren’t interested in compromise or negotiation.
My initial response was “Bush is not the only one who is in denial”. However, there could be something different to it. Arab culture is a culture of honor. What if Talabani’s refusal, is not based on the conviction that he can deal with it all, but that such an international conference would equal an admission that he cannot handle it well and that, as a result, he would ‘lose face’?
If this is the case, the international community should try to find a different way of helping Iraq, one that would not cause Iraq’s government to lose face.
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